In the past, Apple has been vague about how long it would support iPhones with security and software updates. However, due to a unique law and regulation in the UK, Apple is now making a clear commitment. That said, what should you know about it?
According to a public regulatory filing, Apple has promised to provide at least five years of support (from the date of release) for its latest iPhone 15 series phones. This commitment is mainly for security updates, that is, Apple will provide at least five years of security updates for the iPhone 15, starting from the release of the phone in September 2023.
In addition, Mishaal Rahman of the Android Authority website points out that Apple's support commitments are shorter than some of its main competitors. For example, Samsung and Google both guarantee seven years of updates for their flagship devices, including not only security updates but also updates to the Android operating system, which is two years longer than Apple's five years.
But in reality, Apple is more generous in terms of actual update support duration. Rahman said: "To its credit, Apple has long provided security updates for its various iPhone devices for more than five years. Some iPhones have received security updates six years or more after release, which far exceeds the support that the vast majority of Android devices can get. Therefore, although Samsung and Google are temporarily ahead of Apple in terms of the guaranteed years of software support, this does not mean that iPhone users cannot use their phones for as long as Android users."
Moreover, Apple has historically supported iPhones with updates far beyond its five-year commitment. For example, the iOS 15 update released in March was for the iPhone 6s model, which was released nearly nine years ago.
Although Apple didn’t promise seven years of updates like Samsung and Google, iPhone users do not have to worry about their devices losing security update support after five years. According to Apple's past update records, the actual support period is usually longer. Hopefully, everything will go well.
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